Arsenal to join Premier League trail Down Under

SYDNEY - Arsenal will play friendlies against Sydney FC and Western Sydney Wanderers in July 2017, the Australian clubs confirmed on Wednesday, continuing a trend of English Premier League teams heading Down Under during the offseason.

(Reuters)

Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool all played in front of big crowds in Australia earlier this year, while Manchester United stopped off in Sydney during their Asia-Pacific pre-season tour of 2013.

Arsenal have not played in Australia since 1977 and their matches against twice A-League champions Sydney FC and former Asian champions Wanderers will be expected to attract crowds in excess of 70,000 to the Olympic Stadium.

More than 155,000 fans watched Sydney FC lose to Chelsea and Spurs inside three days at the stadium over three days in May and June this year.

(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Peter Rutherford)